


Heart's Content

by brookebond



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Eames and Arthur just being cute together, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, dancing under the stars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-30
Updated: 2017-09-30
Packaged: 2019-01-07 01:20:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12222834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brookebond/pseuds/brookebond
Summary: It's all about appreciating the little things.





	Heart's Content

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sdlibrarian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sdlibrarian/gifts).



> This is a prize for sdlibrarian from the Inception Comment Contest (that I am super late in getting around to).  
> The prompt was 'fluffy cuddles' and while this isn't exactly cuddling, I hope it still fills the spot you were looking for!  
> Thank you oceaxe for your quick beta and lovely words!  
> I hope you all love this small little thing.

“Layla, you’ve got me on my knees,” Eames sang, swaying side to side as he rocked the toddler in his arms. She’d been having difficulty sleeping for the past week, teething was a nightmare he was pleased he couldn’t remember in the slightest. But his heart ached that his sweet little girl couldn’t find anything to take her mind from the pain radiating from her gums. Thankfully, his singing seemed to help lull her to sleep.

“Layla, I’m begging, darling please,” he sang more softly as her eyes began to droop, closing without her permission. “Layla, darling won’t you ease my worried mind.”

Her quiet snuffles confirmed that she’d managed to fall asleep but Eames continued to rock her, gently swaying and savouring the feel of her small body in his arms. She wouldn’t always be this little, this easy to soothe, and he was already aching for it to last just that little bit longer. He wanted to keep the way she looked at him, hold onto it forever because he felt like a hero, as though he could solve any of her problems just by singing a little song and holding her tight.

Eames pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and settled her in bed, pulling the blanket up and tucking her in gently. It was warm out, but Eames still liked to make sure she was covered. Layla had a knack for kicking off anything that covered her while she slept, though, but he still liked to make an attempt when putting her down.

With his daughter asleep, Eames closed the door, leaving it open a crack so he could still hear if she made any distressed noises during the night. He wondered if Arthur had gone off to bed yet. That was why Eames had taken Layla, to give Arthur a break since he was the one that spent most days with her and Arthur was exhausted. Eames had most evenings with both of them and he was already ready to crawl into bed and forget about the day. He couldn’t imagine how hard Arthur was finding it.

Finding the living room empty, Eames turned to go to their bedroom when his gaze caught on the curtain gently billowing in a breeze that shouldn’t have been there. Eames moved towards the open doors, his breath catching at the sight of Arthur standing in their backyard, back to the house, barefoot and staring up at the night sky as the fairy lights overhead lit him with a soft warm glow.

He didn’t want to break whatever moment was happening but it was unusual for Arthur to be outside without shoes on and Eames couldn’t help himself; he wanted to go to his husband.

“Arthur?” he called softly as he stepped outside, delighting in the soft grass tickling his feet as he walked.

“Layla’s down?” Arthur asked, his head still tilted towards the sky.

Eames couldn’t decide if Arthur was staring at the stars or wondering how hard it would be to escape to space just to get a moment’s peace and quiet. He hoped it was the former.

“Just went down,” Eames answered and gently placed a hand on Arthur’s shoulder. “Everything alright?”

Arthur hummed but didn’t turn around.

“Darling—”

“Happy birthday,” Arthur said, cutting him off and shutting him up instantly.

Eames had entirely forgotten that it was his birthday. He was so caught up with Layla and trying to find time to remind Arthur just how much he was loved that his birthday had slipped his mind. He didn’t mind, really. Birthday’s hadn’t been special when he’d been growing up. They were more like milestones that served to remind Eames of how far he was from his parents’ expectations.

“I had planned to take you to dinner,” Arthur sighed, “but we’ve missed our reservation.”

“Darling,” Eames murmured, gently tugging on Arthur’s shoulder until he turned around. “I don’t mind.”

“But I wanted—”

“Arthur. There’s one thing I have ever wanted and that was to have you. Everything else—Layla—is a bonus and I cannot fathom how in the world I ever got lucky enough to have you here, married to me, worried because we’re missing dinner reservations.” Eames smiled softly and tugged Arthur close, wrapping his arms around Arthur’s waist. “Like a river flows surely to the sea,” Eames sang, reveling in the dimples that formed as Arthur tried to squirm out of his grasp.

“Eames…”

“Darling, so it goes. Some things are meant to be,” he continued, holding Arthur tighter and starting to sway, dancing them in a small circle.

“Stop.”

“Take my hand, take my whole life too,” Eames sang, pressing a soft kiss to Arthur’s right dimple and trailing kisses to Arthur’s ear before whispering, “for I can’t help falling in love with you.”

“You are such romantic,” Arthur sighed, resting his chin on Eames’ shoulder.

“Don’t pretend you don’t love it.”

“I love you.”

“And I love you, darling.”


End file.
